REVIEW: Ealing Blues Festival
- Posted on July 23, 2007 12:31 PM
- 1 comment
Ealing Blues Festival
Walpole Park, 21-July-2007
By Nick Howard
On a wet summer Saturday in London, I could think of nothing better to compliment my mood than listening to a bit of blues. And as luck would have it, there just so happened to be a Blues Festival going on in a park near me.
The Ealing Blues Festival is part of the Ealing Summer Festival. Primarily held in Walpole Park, the Ealing Summer Festival is a fusion of various smaller rotating festivals including ones for Blues, Jazz, Opera, Comedy and World music. While the venue remains the same, the individual festival changes every few days. Next weekend is the Ealing Jazz Festival.
Apart from the music there were many commendable attributes to the Ealing Blues Festival. Firstly, it only cost a quid to get in. Secondly, I could take my own beer. Thirdly, as the stages are in tents and aren’t an “Enclosed” public place, I was still able to enjoy my giant Cohiba Cuban cigar whilst chillin’ out to a bit of blues. Also, for when you run out of beer there are several bars, food stalls, shops as well as a side show with one of the old-school style, “Test Your Strength” machines that you bash with a massive sledge hammer.
Anyway, about the music...
When I arrived, on the main stage was Andy Baron and Concrete Johnson. They are a local reggae group with a really trance-like stage presence that subliminally entices mass dancing. Really cool! When they ended I headed on over to the second stage.
When I got to the second stage I caught the last few songs of Sonny Black and Chris Belshaw. These guys were really cool with quite an eclectic mix of blues and world music.
Next up on the second stage was John Crampton. I could tell as soon as he got on stage he was going to be awesome. The axe he wielded which was the National Steel Guitar was a dead giveaway. Anyway, this guy is what blues is supposed to be about – boot stompin’, harmonica blowin’, guitar slappin’, chunky chords, a fair bit of guitar slidin’ for good measure and of course, the rusty ol’ throaty lyrics. He played a good mix of his own originals as well as a few classic covers which are always crowd pleasers; In my opinion though, John’s originals are really good and he should be sticking with them!
Other acts that played at the Ealing Blues Festival included Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, The Guv'nors featuring Robert Hokum, Bagge and Armer, Slim Lightfoot and Storm Warning. It was a great day out and I will definitely be back next year.
Comments (1)
edmund
Mate. you so missed out Sam Kelly and Fukydory!! They were amazing!
Posted on July 26, 2008 11:23 AM
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